Postgame: Pinto's patience is remarkable

Blog Post by: Phil Miller

April 26, 2014 - 7:47 PM

Three parting thoughts about the Twins' 5-3 victory over Detroit:

GOOD TIMING: The Twins got a big break when Anibal Sanchez developed a blister on his middle finger Saturday, considering the righthander owned a 2.57 career ERA in seven starts against them. And the blister will be doubly advantageous to the Twins, because Sanchez went on the disabled list after the game. That means he won't face the Twins when they visit Detroit two weekends from now, either.

PATIENT ROOKIE: Josmil Pinto blasted a home run into the upper deck Saturday, his fifth of the season. But those aren't the at-bats that are especially impressive for the 25-year-old rookie. Pinto also walked in the second inning against Sanchez, his 17th walk of the season. That's an amazing show of patience for a rookie -- most walks by any rookie in the AL, matter of fact -- especially for someone who can hit the ball that far. "He seems to be able to lay off some pretty tough pitches. We've seen him chasing a little bit early in the season, but now he's holding his ground a little bit and not chasing out of the zone as much," manager Ron Gardenhire said. "That's hard to do for a young hitter up here."

HE'S BACK: General manager Terry Ryan was at Target Field for Saturday's game, but said he isn't certain how many games he would attend on this homestand. Ryan completed radiation treatments for squamous-cell cancer on Wednesday. Still, it was great to see him back at the ballpark, and here's hoping he gets his strength (and appetite) back soon.